Career opportunities and network-based privileges in the Cosa Nostra

Crime, Law and Social Change

Volumn 39, Issue 4, 2003, Pages 383-418

  Morselli, Carlo ^a  

^a UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0037865478     PISSN: 09254994     EISSN: 15730751     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1023/A:1024020609694     Document Type: Review

References (64)

1. Capeci, Jerry and Gene Mustain, Gotti: Rise and Fall (New York: Onyx, 1996) p. 444.
2. Arlacchi, Pino, Mafia Business: The Mafia Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (London: Verso, 1983).
3. See Morselli, Carlo, "Structuring Mr. Nice: Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Brokerage Positioning in the Cannabis Trade", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35), 203-244.
4. Granovetter, Mark, "Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness", American Journal of Sociology 1985 (91), 481-510.
5. Albini, Joseph L., The American Mafia: Genesis of a Legend (New York: Meredith, 1971).
6. Ianni, Francis J., A Family Business (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1972) p. 40.
7. Ibid., p. 40.
8. Haller, Mark H., "Life Under Bruno: The Economics of an Organized Crime Family", Pennsylvania Crime Commission 1991.
9. Ibid., p. 17.
10. Ibid., p. 24.
11. I b i d.
12. Hess, Henner, Mafia and Mafiosi: Origin, Power and Myth (New York: New York University Press, 1973/1998).
13. Ibid., pp. 80-81.
14. Ibid., pp. 82-83.
15. Tremblay, Pierre, "Searching for Suitable Co-offenders", in R.V. Clarke and M. Felson's (eds.), Routine Activity and Rational Choice: Advances in Criminological Theory (New Brunswick: Transaction, 1992).
16. Finckenauer, James O. and Elin J. Waring, Russian Mafia in America: Immigration, Culture, and Crime (Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1998).
17. Ibid., p. 198.
18. McIllwain, Jeffrey S., "Organized Crime: A Social Network Approach", Crime, Law, and Social Change 1999 (32), 301-323; Morselli, Carlo, "Structuring Mr. Nice: Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Brokerage Positioning in the Cannabis Trade", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35): 203-244; Klerks, Peter, "The Network Paradigm Applied to Criminal Organizations", Connections 2001 (24), 53-65; Kleemans, E.R. and H.G. van de Bunt, "The Social Embeddedness of Organized Crime", Transnational Organized Crime 2001; Lippens, R., "Rethinking Organizational Crime and Organizational Criminology", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35), 316-331.
19. McIllwain, Jeffrey S., "Organized Crime: A Social Network Approach", Crime, Law, and Social Change 1999 (32), 301-323; Morselli, Carlo, "Structuring Mr. Nice: Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Brokerage Positioning in the Cannabis Trade", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35): 203-244; Klerks, Peter, "The Network Paradigm Applied to Criminal Organizations", Connections 2001 (24), 53-65; Kleemans, E.R. and H.G. van de Bunt, "The Social Embeddedness of Organized Crime", Transnational Organized Crime 2001; Lippens, R., "Rethinking Organizational Crime and Organizational Criminology", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35), 316-331.
20. McIllwain, Jeffrey S., "Organized Crime: A Social Network Approach", Crime, Law, and Social Change 1999 (32), 301-323; Morselli, Carlo, "Structuring Mr. Nice: Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Brokerage Positioning in the Cannabis Trade", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35): 203-244; Klerks, Peter, "The Network Paradigm Applied to Criminal Organizations", Connections 2001 (24), 53-65; Kleemans, E.R. and H.G. van de Bunt, "The Social Embeddedness of Organized Crime", Transnational Organized Crime 2001; Lippens, R., "Rethinking Organizational Crime and Organizational Criminology", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35), 316-331.
21. McIllwain, Jeffrey S., "Organized Crime: A Social Network Approach", Crime, Law, and Social Change 1999 (32), 301-323; Morselli, Carlo, "Structuring Mr. Nice: Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Brokerage Positioning in the Cannabis Trade", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35): 203-244; Klerks, Peter, "The Network Paradigm Applied to Criminal Organizations", Connections 2001 (24), 53-65; Kleemans, E.R. and H.G. van de Bunt, "The Social Embeddedness of Organized Crime", Transnational Organized Crime 2001; Lippens, R., "Rethinking Organizational Crime and Organizational Criminology", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35), 316-331.
22. McIllwain, Jeffrey S., "Organized Crime: A Social Network Approach", Crime, Law, and Social Change 1999 (32), 301-323; Morselli, Carlo, "Structuring Mr. Nice: Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Brokerage Positioning in the Cannabis Trade", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35): 203-244; Klerks, Peter, "The Network Paradigm Applied to Criminal Organizations", Connections 2001 (24), 53-65; Kleemans, E.R. and H.G. van de Bunt, "The Social Embeddedness of Organized Crime", Transnational Organized Crime 2001; Lippens, R., "Rethinking Organizational Crime and Organizational Criminology", Crime, Law, and Social Change 2001 (35), 316-331.
23. Burt, Ronald S., Structural Holes: The Social Structure of Competition (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992).
24. Burt, Ronald S., Structural Holes (1992); and Burt, Ronald S., "The Gender of Social Capital", Rationality and Society 1998 (10), 5-46.
25. Burt, Ronald S., Structural Holes (1992); and Burt, Ronald S., "The Gender of Social Capital", Rationality and Society 1998 (10), 5-46.
26. Padgett, John F. and Christopher K. Ansell, "Robust Action and the Rise of the Medici, 1400-1434", American Journal of Sociology 1993 (98): 1259-1319.
27. Maas, Peter, Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia (New York: Harper Collins, 1997).
28. Capeci, Jerry and Gene Mustain, Gotti: Rise and Fall (1996).
29. Davis, John H., Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family (New York: Harper Collins, 1996).
30. Blumenthal, Ralph and John Miller, The Gotti Tapes (New York: Random House, 1992).
31. Go to www.thesmokinggun.com/gravano
32. Jacobs, James with Coleen Friel and Robert Radick, Gotham Unbound (New York: New York University Press, 1999); Jacobs, James B. with Christopher Panarella and Jay Worthington, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra (New York: New York University Press, 1994); and Goldstock, Ronald, Martin Marcus, Thomas D. Thacher, and James B. Jacobs, Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry: Final Report of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force (New York: New York University Press, 1990).
33. Jacobs, James with Coleen Friel and Robert Radick, Gotham Unbound (New York: New York University Press, 1999); Jacobs, James B. with Christopher Panarella and Jay Worthington, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra (New York: New York University Press, 1994); and Goldstock, Ronald, Martin Marcus, Thomas D. Thacher, and James B. Jacobs, Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry: Final Report of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force (New York: New York University Press, 1990).
34. Jacobs, James with Coleen Friel and Robert Radick, Gotham Unbound (New York: New York University Press, 1999); Jacobs, James B. with Christopher Panarella and Jay Worthington, Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra (New York: New York University Press, 1994); and Goldstock, Ronald, Martin Marcus, Thomas D. Thacher, and James B. Jacobs, Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry: Final Report of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force (New York: New York University Press, 1990).
35. Gravano made a distinction between street-level loansharking (lending "ninety-six for a hundred-twenty for twelve weeks ... to the bottom of the barrel"; Maas 1997: 41) and the upgraded "shylock's shylock" that he would become by the early eighties.
36. Ibid., p. 80.
37. Cressey, Donald R., Theft of the Nation: The Structure and Operations of Organized Crime in America (New York: Harper and Row, 1969); Anderson, Annelise G., The Business of Organized Crime: A Cosa Nostra Family (Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 1979); Abadinsky, Howard, The Criminal Elite: Professional and Organized Crime (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1983); Arlacchi, Pino, Addio Cosa Nostra: la vita di Tommaso Buscetta (Milan: Rizzoli, 1994); and Arlacchi, Pino, Gli uomini del disonore: la mafia siciliana nella vita del grande pentito Antonio Calderone (Milan: Arnoldo Mondadori, 1992).
38. Cressey, Donald R., Theft of the Nation: The Structure and Operations of Organized Crime in America (New York: Harper and Row, 1969); Anderson, Annelise G., The Business of Organized Crime: A Cosa Nostra Family (Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 1979); Abadinsky, Howard, The Criminal Elite: Professional and Organized Crime (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1983); Arlacchi, Pino, Addio Cosa Nostra: la vita di Tommaso Buscetta (Milan: Rizzoli, 1994); and Arlacchi, Pino, Gli uomini del disonore: la mafia siciliana nella vita del grande pentito Antonio Calderone (Milan: Arnoldo Mondadori, 1992).
39. Cressey, Donald R., Theft of the Nation: The Structure and Operations of Organized Crime in America (New York: Harper and Row, 1969); Anderson, Annelise G., The Business of Organized Crime: A Cosa Nostra Family (Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 1979); Abadinsky, Howard, The Criminal Elite: Professional and Organized Crime (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1983); Arlacchi, Pino, Addio Cosa Nostra: la vita di Tommaso Buscetta (Milan: Rizzoli, 1994); and Arlacchi, Pino, Gli uomini del disonore: la mafia siciliana nella vita del grande pentito Antonio Calderone (Milan: Arnoldo Mondadori, 1992).
40. Cressey, Donald R., Theft of the Nation: The Structure and Operations of Organized Crime in America (New York: Harper and Row, 1969); Anderson, Annelise G., The Business of Organized Crime: A Cosa Nostra Family (Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 1979); Abadinsky, Howard, The Criminal Elite: Professional and Organized Crime (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1983); Arlacchi, Pino, Addio Cosa Nostra: la vita di Tommaso Buscetta (Milan: Rizzoli, 1994); and Arlacchi, Pino, Gli uomini del disonore: la mafia siciliana nella vita del grande pentito Antonio Calderone (Milan: Arnoldo Mondadori, 1992).
41. Cressey, Donald R., Theft of the Nation: The Structure and Operations of Organized Crime in America (New York: Harper and Row, 1969); Anderson, Annelise G., The Business of Organized Crime: A Cosa Nostra Family (Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 1979); Abadinsky, Howard, The Criminal Elite: Professional and Organized Crime (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1983); Arlacchi, Pino, Addio Cosa Nostra: la vita di Tommaso Buscetta (Milan: Rizzoli, 1994); and Arlacchi, Pino, Gli uomini del disonore: la mafia siciliana nella vita del grande pentito Antonio Calderone (Milan: Arnoldo Mondadori, 1992).
42. This information was obtained from FBI debriefings available at the Smoking Gun website (see note above).
43. Davis, John H., Mafia Dynasty (1996) p. 291.
44. Jacobs, James with Coleen Friel and Robert Radick, Gotham Unbound (1999).
45. Little indication was made available by Gravano in regard to the presence of official corrupter and enforcer roles as identified by Cressey (1969). It seemed that the need for corruption was more specific to separate activities. In regard to killing or applying violence for the family, observations made on those events detailed by Gravano point out that while some members are consistently involved in the act of regulating within the organization, the actual shooter, orchestrator, and back-up members of a hit tend to vary. Everyone was expected to kill for the family (that was part of the membership oath), but no one was exclusively assigned this role. Gravano's explanation, however, does indicate that while the role was not assigned to any one member, contract killing was generally a group assignment and taken care of by various crews.
46. Using Davis's (1996) higher count, the number of soldiers would increase to 440 (20x22).
47. Note, however, that the turnover (ins and outs) of individual crew membership is not accounted for here.
48. I assume that each soldier must first become a captain in order to have a chance to enter the administrative core.
49. Using Davis's (1996) estimates, each soldier would have a 0,45% (2/440) chance of making it to the administration.
50. Cooney, Mark, "The Decline of Elite Homicide", Criminology 1997 (35), 381-407; Cooney, Mark, Warriors and Peacemakers: How Third Parties Shape Violence (New York: New York University Press, 1998).
51. Cooney, Mark, "The Decline of Elite Homicide", Criminology 1997 (35), 381-407; Cooney, Mark, Warriors and Peacemakers: How Third Parties Shape Violence (New York: New York University Press, 1998).
52. Black, Donald, "Crime as Social Control", American Sociological Review 1983 (48), 34-45; and Black, Donald, The Behavior of Law (New York: Academic Press, 1976).
53. Black, Donald, "Crime as Social Control", American Sociological Review 1983 (48), 34-45; and Black, Donald, The Behavior of Law (New York: Academic Press, 1976).
54. See also Cusson, Maurice, "Le tiers exclu et la non-violence", Working paper, École de criminologie: Université de Montréal (1999).
55. Cooney (1997) defines the elite as "individuals who have more wealth or influence than others" (p. 389).
56. Lupha, Peter A., "Individual Choice, Material Crime, and Organized Crime", Criminology 1981 (19:1), 3-24.
57. Jacobs, James B. and Lauryn P. Gouldin. "Cosa Nostra: The Final Chapter", Crime and Justice: A Review of Research 1999 (25), 129-189.
58. Ibid., p. 138.
59. Cottino, Amedeo, Vita da clan: Un collaboratore di giustizia si racconta (Torino: Gruppo Abele, 1998) p. 89.
60. Although he officially confessed to 19 murders at the time of his turnabout into the FBI side of things, the publication of the Maas biography and the additional sources used for this case study located a series of previously undisclosed murders.
61. Maas 1997, p. 217.
62. Ibid., p. 249.
63. Adacchi, Pino, Mafia Business (1983) p. 129.
64. Coleman, James S., Foundations of Social Theory (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1990) p. 286.